
Google predicts a £400 billion economic boost from AI in the UK
A new report commissioned by Google estimates that artificial intelligence technologies could contribute over £400 billion to the UK economy by 2030.
Prepared by consulting firm Public First, the report analyzed how Google’s tools and services enable productivity gains, improve access to jobs for people with disabilities, and provide people with digital skills training.
Productivity gains through AI
The analysis found that AI innovations from Google and others could save the average UK worker over 100 hours a year, the biggest gain since the advent of Google search.
These tools help automate more tasks and workflows, freeing up workers. But many jobs will be transformed by AI, not eliminated.
AI could save over 700,000 hours of administrative work for GPs and teachers annually. This reduction in workload could alleviate staff shortages and free up over £8billion in public resources for other uses.
Improving Accessibility with AI
AI-powered assistive technologies could help over 1 million people with disabilities in the UK to enter or re-enter the workforce, adding £30bn a year to the economy. Currently, people with disabilities are a third less likely to be in the labor force.
Supporting technologies include language-based interfaces, text recognition and translation tools. You can make numeracy more accessible.
For example, AI tools can automatically generate captions that could improve people’s ability to connect with others and regain their independence.
Digital skills training with AI
AI tutors and coding assistants could make learning key digital skills easier and boost productivity in the UK by £4.8bn a year.
Around 35% of companies need help finding candidates with strong digital skills, while 39% of the unemployed say a lack of digital skills is a barrier to finding a job.
Since 2015, Google has trained over 1 million people in the UK in digital skills through its programmes.
A new social innovation fund for UK AI
Google.org’s Social Innovation Fund on AI is providing £1million in funding to UK-based social entrepreneurs using AI to benefit their communities.
Select entrepreneurs will receive cash grants, mentoring and acceleration support from the Google for Startups Accelerator team.
Interested social entrepreneurs can register on the Social Tides website.
analysis
Many of the productivity gains and cost savings predicted in the Google report come from automating routine tasks like scheduling appointments, data entry, and customer service requests.
Higher-level work that requires reasoning, problem-solving, and creativity is harder to automate and requires human judgment.
The report focuses on the workforce, but does not examine in detail how AI might affect specific occupations, skill levels, or demographic groups differently.
Google’s Social Innovation Fund will provide grants and support for AI projects aimed at helping communities. However, some critics argue that big tech companies should do more to address societal issues that their technologies could exacerbate or amplify, such as the spread of misinformation or job insecurity.
While the fund could bring positive change, Google’s broader AI responsibilities remain controversial.
source: Google
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